Board: NYPD Officers Deserve Punishment for 2020 Protest Response

Facts

On Monday, the Civilian Complaint Review Board, an independent board that reviews complaints made against the New York City Police Department (NYPD), issued a report recommending punishment for dozens of officers found to have used excessive force and violated other conduct policies during the protests that followed the 2020 murder of George Floyd in Minnesota.
In 140 instances, peaceful protesters were reportedly hit with batons and pepper spray, against NYPD policy. Accusations that officers refused to identify themselves were also confirmed by the report, which found that more than 600 (43%) misconduct allegations were closed without resolution because officers couldn’t be identified.
Of 800 complaints made against officers related to the protests, 146 were substantiated by the Board. But the NYPD commissioner only issued discipline in 42 of those cases.
In response to the report, a spokesperson said the NYPD “respectfully objects to much of the [Board’s] characterization of its response” to protests. The president of the city’s largest police union called those who compiled the report “anti-cop activists.”
The Board suggested 17 policy reforms the NYPD could make in order to address the issues highlighted in the report.
The NYPD and police forces across the country were forced into action in the summer of 2020 after Floyd, a Black man who was accused of trying to pay for cigarettes with a fake bill, was killed by police officers, and protests erupted in numerous municipalities.

Sources: Reuters, CBS, New York Post, and Independent.

Narratives

Left narrative, as provided by Gothamist. Despite all the roadblocks the NYPD put up to hinder this investigation, the report is quite expansive and shows how far the department has to go to make sure its officers police peaceful protests in a safe and respectful manner in the future. This might be the tip of the iceberg, as the Board had to postpone the report's release for months while complaints continued to pour in.
Right narrative, as provided by FOX News. Reports like this contribute to the staffing shortage the NYPD and police forces across the country are facing. Police officers have a dangerous job, and need to often react without a moment’s notice, but all they’re rewarded with is reports like this, “defund the police” movements and other anti-cop rhetoric. If Americans want their cities to be policed better, officers should be better supported and given more of the benefit of the doubt.